Angry, green, and obsessed with speed: An upcoming combat racer set in the Warhammer 40,000 takes on the Kult of Speed, those Orks obsessed with driving fast and blowing things up that players love. The team-based shooter pits two rival groups of speed freeks against each other as they race to and then fight over objectives on a large map in their ramshackle, terrifying, explosively-fueled deathtrap tanks, cars, trikes, and buggies.
You can opt in to an alpha test of Speed Freeks right now on Steam. "This alpha version of the game is a bit scrappy, ramshackle and bolted together – just like the Orks that drive in it. Please keep in mind that there will be bugs/issues, and we still have some development to go, with us wanting players to be a part of it," said the Developers.
For all that it ran pretty dang well for me, well beyond what I'd expect of an alpha. The map design was pretty good, alternating open spaces with cramped rocky canyons and plenty of ramps to jump off of, it encouraged both chases to run down enemies and pitched fights in enclosed arenas to take objectives.
Probably the most interesting thing about Speed Freeks is its surprising diversity of car types to drive, each of which has its own ability. That includes buggies with automatic and semi-auto booms, one of which can spread smoke and the other rocket jump into the sky. There's also a big trike with a big ork with a big claw on it, for melee combat. Couple types of tanks, too: One a landship crewed by goblins, the other a big souped-up stolen human tank. Oh, and there's a food wagon that tosses munchies to other orks to heal them, obviously. There are seven vehicles in the game now, but I can easily think of more to add—they don't even have warbikes in here yet!
Warhammer 40,000's Orks, for those of you who don't know, love it when things explode and seem to have a very good time when surrounded by death and mayhem. Some of them get obsessed with stuff, and some of them are the Speed Freeks, who love to go fast. Games about the Speed Freeks getting up to explosive racing nonsense date back a long ways—all the way to 1997 game Gormakmorka. That got a revival in 2018 game Speed Freeks—on which this is clearly based.
Back in 2019 our Fraser Brown disappeared into the wilderness after demanding that if Mad Max with orks wasn't the next Warhammer 40K game, he'd riot. Finally his four year, one-man riot can end.
You can find Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks on Steam.
